Summary

Act II, Scene VII: Sergeant Toomey calls Epstein to his private quarters in the middle of the night. He is drunk and has a loaded gun in hand for much of the conversation. He begins by berating Epstein and telling him that he can never win in a match of wits and discipline. Epstein, afraid of the dangerous drunk man, calmly agrees to everything that Toomey says. Toomey then reveals that he is going to be shipped off to a veteran’s hospital the next morning and is being discharged from the army. Epstein says that it is a shame.

Toomey says that he overheard the men playing the game about what they would do if they only had a week to live and that he wants to add his own wish to the list. Toomey puts down $5 and says that he...